The truth behind the Ice Cream truck song

The older I get, the more I start to question things. I’ve always been a firm believer that in life we’re supposed to be taught, but be wise enough, and willing enough to unlearn things that aren’t our own truths. So when I came across a very interesting article on NPR’s website, my spidey senses were intrigued.

If you’re a fan of the ice cream song that many neighborhood trucks blast as they bait sweet-craving children thirsty for their sugar fix, you might not be after this. Turns out that the song, like many popular children’s nursery rhymes, is rooted in racism. The ice cream song is based on the 1916 tune, “N***er Love a Watermelon Ha! Ha! Ha!,” which was written by actor Harry C. Browne and released by Columbia records.

According to NPR, the song “played on the familiar depiction of black people as mindless beasts of burden greedily devouring slices of watermelon.”

Take a listen to the song, (Warning: Graphic and racist language)

Nigger love a watermelon ha ha, ha ha!

Nigger love a watermelon ha ha, ha ha!

For here, they’re made with a half a pound of co’l

There’s nothing like a watermelon for a hungry coon

Enjoy your ice cream.

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The Black Youth Project is a platform that highlights the voices and ideas of Black millennials. Through knowledge, voice, and action, we work to empower and uplift the lived experiences of young Black Americans today.